PH golfers face tough final-round test in bronze medal push

PATTAYA, Thailand – Team Philippines’ golf campaign in the 33rd SEA Games here is heading toward another disappointing finish, mirroring its struggles in the previous edition, as its players slid further away from medal contention after three rounds at the Siam Country Club here on Saturday.

Rolando Bregente Jr., who electrified the field with a brilliant opening-round 65 that briefly raised hopes of a gold-medal breakthrough, mounted a late rally but could only salvage a 74, slipping to sixth place at four-under 212 total after 54 holes.

From joint leader after the opening round and solo third at the halfway mark, Bregente now found himself four strokes off the joint second-running Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh and Parin Sarasmut of Thailand, his once-promising campaign increasingly precarious with just one round left, given his inconsistent form and the tightening leaderboard.

Thai Pongsapak Laopakdee all but clinched the individual gold with a stirring 19-under 197 aggregate after a second straight 66, marked by a scorching five-birdie binge from No. 3, leading Nguyen and Sarasmut by a commanding 11-stroke advantage.

Nguyen charged back with a 67 to catch Sarasmut, who carded a 71, at 208.

Bregente again struggled to find rhythm on a backside start, squandering a couple of birdie chances early before stumbling with a bogey on the 18th. Miscues on Nos. 3 and 4 further pushed him down the standings.

Refusing to fade quietly, however, he showed flashes of the form that fueled his opening-round heroics, regrouping with birdies on Nos. 6 and 8, sandwiched around a bogey, to post a 37-37 card.

With rivals gaining momentum and only 18 holes remaining, Bregente will need something special on the final day to climb back onto the podium.

Chris Remata continued his steady recovery from an opening-round 78, firing a 69 on the heels of a second-round 70 to reach a 217 total. While his improvement has been notable, the deficit proved too large, leaving him at ninth place and virtually out of the medal hunt.

Perry Bucay carded a 73 for a share of 22nd at 226, while Shinichi Suzuki struggled to a 77 for tied 28th with a 237 aggregate.

In the team competition, the Philippines remained far removed from the medal picture with a cumulative 655 after a 216, a daunting 12 strokes behind bronze contender Vietnam (212-643) Thailand all but sealed the team gold with a commanding 27-under-par 621 total after a 208, while Indonesia appeared poised to secure the silver with a 633 after a 209.

In women’s play, Rianne Malixi, determined to rebound from a disastrous second-round 79, showed flashes of resilience but ultimately struggled to erase the damage of a nightmarish front nine, posting a 78 in the penultimate round of the competition.

She rallied with a steadier backside 35, but the effort barely compensated for a forgettable frontside 43, marred by an uncharacteristic quadruple bogey on the par-4 ninth at the Rolling Hills layout. The stumble proved costly, as Malixi closed the day with an 11-over 227 aggregate, sliding further down the leaderboard to joint 10th, now eight strokes adrift of the bronze medal position.

Up front, Thailand’s Kritchanya Kaopattanaskul tightened her grip on the gold medal with a 71, clinging onto a two-stroke lead at five-under 211 with just 18 holes remaining. Teammate Prim Prachnakorn, on the other hand, shot a 70 to firm up her bid for the gold as she pooled a 213, while Vietnam’s Le Chuc An remained a distant third at 219 after a 75.

Early bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3 hinted at another long day for Malixi, the 2024 US Girls’ Junior and US Women’s Amateur champion. Although she answered with a birdie on the sixth, she dropped another shot on the seventh before unraveling with a disastrous “8” to close the front nine.

To her credit, she regrouped at the back, birdieing Nos.10 and 17 to negate a bogey on the 13th, showing grit despite the mounting pressure.

While individual podium hopes dimmed, the Philippines’ campaign gained renewed momentum in the team competition, where a bronze medal remained firmly within reach.

Junia Gabasa delivered a steady 73 to climb to 12th place at 229, while Grace Quintanilla carded a 77, placing 17th at 238. Their combined third-round score of 150 lifted the Philippines to a three-day team total of 455 – just two strokes behind third-running Indonesia’s 453 (148) heading into the final round.

With only a narrow gap to overcome, the Filipinas are well positioned to mount a decisive final-day charge for the bronze, drawing confidence from their ability to grind out solid rounds under pressure. A strong closing effort could see the Philippines leapfrog Indonesia and secure a podium finish in the team event.

Thailand appeared all but poised to claim the team gold with a commanding 424 total after a 141, while Singapore has all but locked up the silver at 443 despite a 153.

Despite the setbacks, Bregente and the Philippine women’s team remained hopeful of salvaging a bronze medal and averting another medal-less campaign, having been shut out in Cambodia in 2023.